OMAHA, Neb. - Head coach Jim Flanery of the Creighton women’s basketball team announced the hiring of Matt Fritsche as an assistant coach on his staff on Tuesday, June 4.

Fritsche joins the Bluejay staff after serving as the head coach at Midland University last season. In his first season at the helm, Fritsche guided the Warriors to a 12-18 record. A native of Maywood, Neb., Fritsche spent a decade (2002-12) building Bellevue West High School's girls' basketball team into a statewide power, collecting 199 victories and just 56 losses. He guided Bellevue West to three Nebraska Class-A State Championships (2006-07, 2008-09 & 2009-10) and also reached the championship game in 2010-11.

“Matt is a coach who has been able to consistently get the most out of his players and teams,” said Flanery. “The ability to get so much out of his players and teams is really exciting as it relates to how he can help us here at Creighton.“

Fritsche brings a host of personal coaching accolades, including being honored as the 2010 Omaha World Herald Coach of the Year and the 2009 Lincoln Journal Star Coach of the Year. From 2009-11 Fritsche earned coach of the year honors from nine separate organizations. He served on the WBCA Nike All-American Committee, scouting top players from Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, and North Dakota. He has also assisted in the selection of players for the WBCA All-American game and aided in determining which players should be eligible for All-American honors.

With strong high school connections across the state, Fritsche has coached four separate age groups of Omaha Crusaders Select teams and was a six-year coach of the Pinnacle Banks/Daubert All-Star Basketball U17 team.

“Having been on the other side of the recruiting equation as a high school and club coach. I think Fritsche’s experience will give us a different perspective in terms of how to recruit. Matt is a great person and a really good communicator,” added Flanery. “I know that he’s a very hard worker and very hungry to coach at Creighton. We believe he can do a lot of things to sustain and improve our program.”

Fritsche already has significant ties to the Creighton women’s program, coaching current Bluejay Alexis Akin-Otiko as well as former Jay Kelsey Woodward at Bellevue West. He also worked several Jays at the AAU level including Chevelle Herring, Sarah Nelson, Kellie Nelson, Sam Schuett, Katie Frank and Jasmin Corbin.

“I’ve always wanted to be at Creighton, coach Flanery is a moral, ethical, hard-working man that is easy to want to work for,” said Fritsche.

As a graduate of University of Nebraska-Kearney (1999), Fritsche earned his Master's in educational leadership from Doane College in (2004). He brings with him his wife, Colleen, and his two years old son, Kellen.

Fritsche replaces Steve Huber who accepted the head coaching position at Drury University in late April. Fritsche began his duties at Creighton on June 4, he will specifically work with the Jays post players.